Renato Paratore Claims Nordea Masters Title

Italy’s Renato Paratore fought off a hard-charging Matthew Fitzpatrick to take the Nordea Masters by one stroke on Sunday, his first European Tour title. The 20-year-old Pasatore won’t be 21 until mid-December.

An untimely double-bogey on No. 3 kept Fitzpatrick from least forcing a playoff. Otherwise he was 7-under for the day.

Paratore did not commit a bogey on the day, which meant Fitzpatrick never got any freebies.

Fitzpatrick tied Chris Wood for second place. Wood started the day with a 1-stroke lead over Paratore, but hie round as marred by mistakes. Playing with Paratore, Wood bogeyed No. 1 to fall into a tie for the lead. He temporarily gained the 1-stroke advantage back with a birdie on No. 6, but bogeyed No. 6 to give it back.

Paratore’s birdie on No. 8 but the Italian up a stroke, but Wood tied him with another birdie on No. 10. Paratore went ahead to stay with a birdie on 14, and Wood’s bogey on 18 made it a two-stroke deficit.

George Coetzee of South Africa fired a final-round 66, the best score of the tournament, to finish tied for third with Thorbjorn Olesen. Day 2 leader Jamie Donaldson wound up seventh at 7-under.

Christofer Blomstrand was the highest finishing Swede a 5-under thanks to a final-round 69.